Oak rolls out CMOS-based CD front-end controller

Oak Technology Inc. has complemented its rewriteable-CD controller with its first CMOS-based analog front end, offering a potential roadmap to single-chip integration.

The CMOS-based controller from Oak, Sunnyvale, Calif., will compete with existing BiCMOS and bipolar chips from rivals like AKM Semiconductor Inc. and Sony Semiconductor Co. of America. The use of the CMOS process and its corresponding power reduction will offer OEMs their first opportunity to build a portable rewriteable-CD player and recorder, executives said.

Oak's OTI-9071 CD-R/CD-RW front end controller complements Oak's existing OTI-9790 chip, a device controller offering 12X read and 40X write performance. According to Nicos Syrimis, vice president of marketing for Oak's Optical Storage Group, similar front-end chips from AKM and Sony were sold alongside the OTI-9790, a market Oak coveted.

The OTI-9071 integrates an RF amplifier, a write DAC, a power calibration DAC, and blocks to calibrate sampling, playing a role similar to that of a read channel in a hard disk-drive.

While the existing OTI-9790 was designed in a more advanced 0.35-micron process, the complexity of the analog functions meant that Oak designed the OTI-9071 in an older 0.5-micron process. Power consumption is less than 700 mW. While the company has not formally discussed any plans, "we designed in full standard CMOS to allow the option for future integration," Syrimis said.

The chip is available in a 100-pin low-profile quad-flat-package (QFP) and is sampling now. Oak will begin volume production of the part in early summer for $6.50 in quantities exceeding 10,000 units.